Chiefs Fan Guide To The Fix II

To Read Part I of 2015 Chiefs Fan Guide To The Fix go here.

Crystal Balling

To get an upper hand on what’s coming we, 1) “listen” to what John Dorsey and Andy Reid are actually saying and meaning (as well as what they’re not saying), 2) pay equally close attention to what they’ve said and done in the past, and 3) look carefully at which players are available through free agency and the draft.

Let’s take #2 for a second. Andy Reid has consistently touted that he’ll continue to place the best five starting offensive linemen on the field. So, many may be wondering how Mike McGlynn, who had a (negative) -32.6 rating by Pro Football Focus could start for Reid for three straight months before being removed from the starting lineup in week 17. While I was miffed and shared contempt for McGlynn even being on the Chiefs roster, there are things to be learned from his inclusion and his use as a starter.

• Reid drafted McGlynn in Philadelphia and utilized him previously so they’ve had an ongoing relationship.
• Reid doesn’t make mid-season changes to the offensive line and trusts in the process of the line jelling as a unit.
• Reid obviously found himself with few other choices that he believed could produce a better result.

It’s critical that Dorsey locate and acquire new offensive line pieces long before July arrives so that Reid has a chance to “jell” with them (and they with each other) and give him an idea about who will work best together by September.

In the case of Mike McGlynn, he wasn’t signed until August 27th, just ten days before the 2014 season began. In retrospect, it looks like his signing was an act of desperation because Reid clearly wasn’t happy with the gaggle of OL he was given to work with. The same goes for starting RT Ryan Harris who was signed only four days before McGlynn. So, it becomes easier to predict that John Dorsey knows what his priorities are this offseason beginning with the offensive line. Not just to bring guys like OT Derek Sherrod in for another chance to develop into a starter but Dorsey knows he has to draft offensive linemen and sign FA offensive linemen for the team to take a positive step forward in 2015.

Adding guys like Sherrod, Terrelle Pryor, Da’Rick Rodgers and Jerel Worthy shows that John Dorsey is doing what he said he’d do,

"“…we are always still trying to see if we can fit a piece in here or fit a piece in there.”"

On the the next page we’ll take a look at some possible draft picks that will be available to the Chiefs at #18. However, I believe there’s a strong possibility John Dorsey will be moving up or down to get the exact player he wants… and possibly to pick up another draft pick in the process.